The present invention relates in general to container closures and in particular to pull-ring type closures which are incorporated into the container lid.
For a number of years, carbonated and alcoholic beverages have been sold in nonreturnable containers such as aluminum and steel cans. Prior to the introduction of such cans, these types of beverages were sold in glass bottles whose neck and outlet designs were such so as to offer a form of drinking spout to the consumer. Unfortunately, the design of cans does not permit a similar neck and outlet construction. Consequently, a revised drinking procedure resulted when such cans were introduced.
The sealing of the can lids to the can body, the desire to have a compact design, in order to minimize the amount of material required, and the interest in providing easy packaging all contributed to the cylindrical, flat-end construction of such cans. A changeover from bottles to cans also necessitated a revised opening procedure. While the can opener could be used in both instances either to pry off the cap of a bottle or to puncture the end lid of a can, consumer convenience ultimately dictated some type of manually openable design for both types of containers that would not require a can opener or other instrument. In the case of the bottles, a twist-off cap was provided and in the case of the cans, the result was the pull-tab concept wherein a strip of metal defined by score lines is removed by pulling on a ring riveted to the strip. What was left in the case of the cans was an opening defined by exposed metal edges that the consumer would have to press his lips against these edges while tilting the can in order to drink from the can. With the bottle design, not only was the end portion of the bottle where the consumer would have to press his lips covered by the cap and therefore maintained in a sanitary condition, but the consumer still had the comfort and convenience of a drinking spout.
The method of drinking that requires the consumer to press his lips against exposed metal edges not only poses a danger of cut lips and tongue, but it is unsanitary since the lid end of the can is not covered or otherwise kept clean. An additional concern to this type of pull-tab can design was the disposal of the removed ring and metal strip that was pulled from the end lid in order to open the container. These "tabs" have been a concern in that they litter beaches and parks. Further, they are frequently stepped on, resulting in cuts to feet and toes. This latter problem has been solved to some extent by the push-top cans wherein a scored strip of metal is popped up and then pushed into the opening through which the contents are obtained. This method does not solve the concerns about the drinking procedure being unsanitary nor does it reduce the risk of cut lips and tongues. In fact, this method is even less sanitary because the tab is pushed into the contents of the can.
To date, nothing has been done to eliminate the latter two concerns. Regardless of the type of pull-ring or push-tab design, the consumer must push his lips up against the lid end and against the exposed metal edges of the created opening. Consequently, it would be an improvement to the design of such beverage containers to provide a drinking spout that would be sanitary and safe. Further, such an improvement would be even more valuable if it is compatible with the present fabrication procedure of such can lids and bodies so as to preclude, to the maximum extent possible, any need to redesign the associated production tooling. The present invention provides such an improvement in a novel and unobvious manner that is fully disclosed herein.